1	Oracle Fusion Middleware: "Tales from the Trenches" Dr. Paul Dorsey Dulcian, Inc. www.dulcian.com June 24, 2009
2	Fusion Middleware
3	Conclusions Fusion Middleware Huge Complex Too many alternatives Rational evolution
4	Critical Success Factors 1. Select a small subset of products. 2. Get help. 3. Start small.
5	What parts of Fusion Middleware are people using? Last year: ADF BC ADF Faces BPEL Oracle Application Server (OAS) Less popular: JHeadstart, Oracle Business Rules, WebCenter This year: BPEL – less popular OAS- Soon to be replaced with BEA WebLogic
6	Connecting Java to the Database Leading cause of project failure Alternatives Hibernate TopLink EJB, EJB3 (write your own) JDBC code (no framework) ADF BC
7	ADF BC BEST Way to connect to the database MATURE Version 1 released in 2001 4 major rewrites STABLE The major evolution is over. RICH Lots of functionality EASY Compared to alternatives
8	ADF Faces Rich UI components AJAX features Based on industry standard Faces Evolving Lots of new things in 11g Totally new Controller in 11g Better rich UI page development
9	Application Server Oldest and most stable portion of the Oracle architecture. Widely used BEA WebLogic will soon replace No one seems to be in a hurry to jump on this bandwagon. Most organizations are still staying with their OAS installations.
10	BPEL Process flow engine Middle tier Java-based Industry standard Oracle BPEL is excellent. Not many organizations using it.
11	Other Parts of Fusion Middleware Oracle Business Rules Last year, one person I talked to tried and failed. This year, one person was successful building a very unique application. JHeadstart Designer-like code generation Easier to learn Mostly used by Oracle Consulting Some external users Few new users but existing users are happy. Universal Content Manager (UCM) – few users Identity Management Suite – lots of interest, very new
12	WebCenter Bundle of collected utilities Instant messaging Wiki Portal (any JSF is a portlet) Early releases were weak. Users now happy Very expensive ($50,000/CPU)
13	BI Publisher Reporting tool Still not Oracle Reports Expensive ($30,000)
14	SOA To SOA or not to SOA? Overrated bandwagon High cost, high risk Frequently not necessary Will consume more resources than you think In one system: 2% of requirements 15% of maintenance Can be difficult to control and maintain web services.
15	Hardware Requirements Hardware requirements for Java EE (and ADF specifically) can be prohibitively expensive. Scalable application to many OO architects often means one in which performance problems can be solved by adding additional hardware. Even systems with 1000 users or less may require multiple servers to support this environment. Recent trend is to use a middle tier deployed on Virtual Machines (VM). Some cost savings and easier maintenance
16	What can you build? 3) Process flow applications ADF BC ADF Faces OAS BPEL 1) Basic applications ADF BC ADF Faces OAS 2) SOA management BPEL OAS
17	Development Thoughts Steep learning curve Mentoring is essential. Slowly getting easier
18	"It ain't Forms" Web-based Better looking applications More complex Slower development Harder to learn Less functional
19	Making the Web Work 1. Minimize information sent to client. Small pages Not too much logic 2. Minimize round trips to the database. Thick database 3. Beware of Web Services. Internet bottlenecks are unpredictable.
20	Stateful or Stateless? Stateless Every UI operation reconnects independently (no persistent package variables or GTT) Essential for large number of users Only 2 servers for most systems Stateful 1 database, 1 application server session for entire logical session BEWARE large number of users May need 200 servers Most applications are stateful.
21	Is Fusion Middleware Catching On? Not really Totally fragmented environment Applications will drive Fusion Middleware APEX Most popular Oracle web development environment Won't pass Defense Department security Good if you stay “within the box”
22	Conclusions Java EE is very complex. Fusion Middleware makes complexity manageable. Tier 1 shops are productive and happy No one thinks open source is better. Fusion Middleware continues to improve. Oracle Applications will all be Fusion Middleware We may have no choice.
23	Dulcian’s BRIM^® Environment Full business rules-based development environment For Demo Write “BRIM” on business card
24	Contact Information Dr. Paul Dorsey – paul_dorsey@dulcian.com Dulcian website - www.dulcian.com